BILLW@SU-SCORE.ARPA (William Chops Westfield) (08/19/85)
Perhaps someone would like to comment on the legality and/or morality of trying to release "improved" versions of copywrited by free distribution software as shareware? (for example the enahanced HP150 version of KERMIT I mentioned in my previous message...) BillW -------
peter@baylor.UUCP (Peter da Silva) (08/20/85)
> Perhaps someone would like to comment on the legality and/or morality > of trying to release "improved" versions of copywrited by free distribution > software as shareware? (for example the enahanced HP150 version of > KERMIT I mentioned in my previous message...) I don't know about legalities, but if you've added value to the program it should be OK so long as you send a kickback to the original author. I don't know about legality but there's nothing wrong with the morality of this. I don't think there are any laws for protecting shareware anyway. -- Peter (Made in Australia) da Silva UUCP: ...!shell!neuro1!{hyd-ptd,baylor,datafac}!peter MCI: PDASILVA; CIS: 70216,1076
slerner@sesame.UUCP (Simcha-Yitzchak Lerner) (08/23/85)
> > Perhaps someone would like to comment on the legality and/or morality > > of trying to release "improved" versions of copywrited by free distribution > > software as shareware? (for example the enahanced HP150 version of > > KERMIT I mentioned in my previous message...) > > I don't know about legalities, but if you've added value to the program it > should be OK so long as you send a kickback to the original author. I don't > know about legality but there's nothing wrong with the morality of this. > I don't think there are any laws for protecting shareware anyway. > -- > Peter (Made in Australia) da Silva > UUCP: ...!shell!neuro1!{hyd-ptd,baylor,datafac}!peter > MCI: PDASILVA; CIS: 70216,1076 Most freeware agreements that I have seen have a few limitations in them, to wit: 1. You may not sell it (and it generaly specifically states 'even if you have modified it') 2. You may not even GIVE IT AWAY if you have modified it. (This is due to the hassles of trying to support it when every hacker in town has put in his $.02, and now its broken...) Finally: 3. Freeware IS copyrighted, and you therefore must play the game by the authors rules, and you have no rights other than you can use/modify/abuse it to you hearts content for YOUR OWN use, or you can pass on an unmodified copy of the original to whoever you want. Even freeware authors have rights!! (Maybe they'll want to buy a key?? :-) -- Opinions expressed are public domain, and do not belong to Lotus Development Corp. ---------------------------------------------------------------- Simcha-Yitzchak Lerner {genrad|ihnp4|ima}!wjh12!talcott!sesame!slerner {cbosgd|harvard}!talcott!sesame!slerner slerner%sesame@harvard.ARPA